New York City Police Shoot, Kill Man During ‘Wellness Check’

The NYPD released body-camera footage of police fatally shooting a Bronx man, Miguel Richards, while doing a “wellness check,” notes the New York Daily News.

Officers repeatedly told Richards to drop a knife.

One cop said, “I don’t want to shoot you, but I will if you don’t drop that knife,” notes BuzzFeed News.

Another man in the apartment pleaded with Richards: “Put your hands up dude, it’s not a joke.”

When Richards aimed a toy gun at police, one cop said: “I don’t want to shoot you if you have a fake gun in your hand but I will shoot you if that’s a real gun.”

The cops opened fire and killed Richards.

Bronx District Attorney Darcel Clark opposed releasing the video because it would supposedly “compromise the integrity of the investigation,” but couldn’t say how:

Transparency is critical to building trust between community and law enforcement. Notwithstanding, I still have an obligation to protect the integrity of the investigation into this shooting. Releasing videos to the public during the early stages of an investigation may resolve some questions about the incident, but it may compromise the integrity of the investigation.